How I Used Social Media to Turn My Passion Into $60M (And You Can Too)

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

A card pulled from his shop sold for $1.8 million, and a missing Steph Curry rookie could be worth over $10 million.

Host Brad Lea interviews Nathan Burns, owner of Grand Slam Collectibles, who built a $60 million sports card business. Nathan recounts his childhood dream inspired by a card store visit at age seven. He opened his shop in Murfreesboro in 2016 with $30,000, initially struggling with days like a $1.10 sale for a Diet Coke. A turning point came using Facebook Live to break open boxes, growing from 10 to 700 viewers quickly and selling millions within six months. Nathan discusses hitting rock bottom in 2010, feeling like a failure after not graduating college and struggling in real estate, which led him to return and graduate from MTSU. He explains the sports card industry, including grading (PSA scales), the rarity of high-value cards like a $1.8 million Justin Herbert pull, and a missing Steph Curry rookie potentially worth over $10 million. Nathan contrasts the low-margin box-breaking with high-profit trading of six-figure cards, detailing business evolution from online breaks to a physical store now drawing visitors nationally. He emphasizes the role of social media in monetizing passion and shares his philosophy of helping others, stemming from his own experience with depression and transformation. The conversation touches on card market dynamics, allocation from manufacturers, and personal anecdotes like regretting selling a Michael Jordan rookie. Nathan concludes by encouraging listeners to make small changes and persevere, offering mentorship via DMs.

As heard by us

Burns turns sports card passion into a brisk case study in social-selling discipline.

This Dropping Bombs episode frames Nathan Burns's path as a practical origin story: a childhood interest in sports cards becomes a $60 million business after a hard reset in 2010, a stretch in real estate, and the 2016 launch of Grand Slam Collectibles with $30,000.

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Why you'd press play

You want the story of a childhood sports-card dream becoming a $60 million business with an iPhone, Facebook Live, and a lot of live box openings.

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